The Muskoka Zone of the Canadian Ski Patrol is looking for more volunteers for the 2019-2020 season and wants the community to know that their events are year-round and not just for skiers.
The Canadian Ski Patrol is a national non-profit organization that provides advanced first aid services to both alpine and nordic ski areas across Canada.
The Muskoka Zone provides first aid services to both the Hidden Valley Highlands Ski Area and Arrowhead Nordic Ski Club and has won best zone in Ontario for four straight years.
Some of the Muskoka Zone patrollers have been with the organizations for over 25 years.
Each year there are around 30 volunteer patrollers but the organization is always looking for new people to join. Volunteers are assigned to either Hidden Valley or Arrowhead Nordic, or a combination of both.
The Muskoka Zone won a number of provincial awards in the 2018/2019 season:
- Bob Finlay won best new patroller (with over 300 volunteer hours logged)
- Brad Redwood (president of Muskoka Zone) won best returning patroller
- Jodie Lalonde won the National Public Relations award
- Mark Hutley won the Canadian Ski Patroller award
Awards are won when members of the team submit information about their peers to a provincial panel.
Jodie Lalonde has been with the Muskoka Zone for 11 seasons and is now a member of the organization’s National Board of Directors.
“It’s a wonderful family that supports each other. So many friendships have developed from our group,” said Lalonde.
Volunteer registration is currently open for the 2019/2010 season. Once someone registers they are given a 60-hour course that is partly online and partly in person. The in-person training starts at the end of September and runs over three weekends and at the end, there is a test and practical exam. If you are a doctor, an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), or nurse, the training time is cut in half.
Another notable factor for volunteers is that they’re not required to be skiers. There are some patrollers who work solely at the Hidden Valley Highlands Ski chalet, and at Arrowhead volunteers aren’t required to know how to ski either.
While many zones of the Canadian Ski Patrol stick solely to ski events, the Muskoka Zone also volunteers for many local events such as the Muskoka River X, Band on the Run, and Iron Man. On the Saturday and Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend, October 12 and 13, they hold an annual ski swap at Hidden Valley, which is how the organizations raises funds. It’s also a great place to find new skis and snowboards for sale.
“I love being part of the patrol because I get to learn new skills and use them at many special events right across the province. It’s not all just about the winter any more, the skiing is just a bonus!” said Brad Redwood.
New to the 2019/2020 season is that all Muskoka Zone patrollers are trained in Naloxone, also known as Narcan, which can prevent an overdose from opioids.
Lalonde says that their training in Naloxone is particularly useful when volunteering for non-ski related events such as music festivals.
If you want to sign up to volunteer in the 2019/20 season, email: [email protected] or visit skipatrolmuskoka.ca for more information.
Don’t miss out on Doppler!
Sign up here to receive our email digest with links to our most recent stories.
Local news in your inbox three times per week!
0 Comments